A generator set includes a combination of a generator and a prime mover, for example a combustion engine. The generator and the prime mover are mounted together along with other accessories on an anchor platform to form an integral unit commonly known as a genset. As fuel is burned within the prime mover, a mechanical rotation is created that drives the generator to produce electrical power. In typical implementations, one or more generator sets are arranged to supply generated electrical power to one or more connected loads through a shared or a common bus. Generally, the power output of the prime movers associated with corresponding generator sets is controlled based on a power needed to operate the connected loads.
However, during low load conditions, controlling the power output of the engines based on the power needed to operate the connected loads may lead to a decrease in temperature of exhaust gases exiting the engines. In some situations, the temperature of the exhaust gases in an exhaust conduit may go below the condensation temperature of oil and/or unburned fuel present in the exhaust gases. In such cases, the condensation of the oil or the unburned fuel inside the exhaust conduit may lead to accumulation of oil in the exhaust conduit. This may cause leakage of the condensed oil from various joints of the exhaust conduit of an exhaust system. Further, the accumulation of the oil or the unburned fuel may cause damage to exhaust aftertreatment systems. The condensation or the accumulation of the oil or the unburned gases in the exhaust conduit is generally referred to as wet stacking or slobber.
One way to avoid wet stacking is to operate the engine at a fixed minimum power output so that the engine will not drop below that minimum power which ensures that the temperature of the exhaust gases in the exhaust conduit can be maintained high enough that wet stacking does not occur. However, this leads to an increase in fuel consumption of the generator sets. Where generator sets are being operated with additional power sources, such as a photovoltaic system, operating the engines at a fixed minimum power not only increases fuel consumption but the usage of the photovoltaic system is not optimized.
US Patent Application No. 2014/0338864 discloses a load bank connected to a generator set to increase engine exhaust temperature in order to avoid wet stacking in the engine exhaust system. The load bank includes heating elements, such as one or more resistive elements, inductive elements, capacitive elements, to absorb electric power and convert the electric power into heat. Although the US Patent Application No. 2014/0338864 discloses increasing the engine exhaust temperature to prevent wet stacking by connecting the load bank, this results in increased power output—thereby increased fuel consumption.